I’m sure they are out there, but in all the protests and screaming, I have yet to hear an idea, solution, strategy how to handle the 600,000 illegal immigrants who enter the USA each year. Nor have I heard a suggestion what to do about the 20,000 children and teens who are roaming our country from Central America. Incidentally, of the 20,000, only 2000 came to this country with their parent(s). “…ripped from their mother’s arms” is predictable incendiary rhetoric.

“Unaccompanied minors.” That phrase has unsettled me since I met some “unaccompanied minors” in the aftermath of the Sudan crisis.

“There was no place then, and few places ever, that offered a more stimulating environment for creativity than Florence (Italy) in the 1400s” (Leonardo da Vinci, Walter Isaacson)

With the modeling done by the Guinness family, A British soap company (Lever Brothers-?) and the Cadbury people during the Industrial Revolution in Ireland and England, I have an idea. It is embryonic. Those companies built villages for their employees with a plan for improving their hygiene and ability to build a life. They attempted to touch every aspect including education in every aspect of life.

The Creator of the universe has not run out of ideas, especially in the areas that Jesus declared redemption and creation. (Isaiah 61 & Luke 4) With a vision of a 21st Century Florence—“stimulating environment of creativity.” I also refer you to Greensburg, Kansas. We did 2-3 extended meetings there as well as a couple one-niters. When the city was destroyed by tornado, they rebuilt it with a vision for the future. Technology and the electric grid underground, for example.

Looking at the crowd on any day trying to gain entrance into our country, how can we tell which ones of those kids are the “best” that President Trump says we want? Some have not been parented. Most have not been tutored and prepared for life in our culture. We are given the opportunity to shape them and train them to become the best. We cannot forget that in those crowds are some of the “worst.” This sounds like a ridiculous hope for utopia. More than that, in fact, it is battle for the souls of the lost and for the soul of our country—the City on a Hill.

A vision keeps coming to me—I cannot say where it comes from. I see new cities and villages and renovated rural towns not just to house, but to heal, train, educate and teach community. Others have tried this—(ie. the high rise buildings in Chicago). As smart as Americans are, we can learn why they didn’t work and then build on their purest ideas.

Perhaps, a better approach is to go to the source of the problem. Take all this to Central American nations—“You shall bless the nations—Genesis 12) Not to colonize sovereign nations, but to plant resources, leaders and a vision of economics, education. Plant the 7 Mountain vision. What about Daniel in Babylon? Joseph in Egypt? Early Christians in the Roman Empire?

I am waiting for the results of the weekend call for people to leave their churches if the pastor didn’t address the border situation. The “call” sounded like a demand to attack our government and president. My inclination is to issue a call to leave churches where spiritual leaders do attack the government and president. Leave to establish communities that will build. Let’s make Isaiah 58 our stimulation.

Let’s announce to the world with the 7 Spheres of influence and authority (legal and military) that this is who we are and if you want to come to USA, then this is the path to participation. You are welcome to become one of us. If you see yourself being assimilated into our values and society, then bring your best tools, ideas, culture. We don’t need for you to try to change our country into Honduras or El Salvador. We want your best traditions and skills to make us better. If you can see yourself in that role, then come join us and work for the American dream.

One of my mentors said to his children, “If I start swearing, run! My choice of vulgar language means I have run out of ideas and ability to rationally communicate.” Some of the current actions and language in our country on both sides of any conversation is described in that statement.

In our legitimate defense of what we treasure, we have allowed the American vision to grow dim. The opposition is about deconstruction—tearing down. How shall we stand against the invasion which the southern border is only a symptom?

It is an embryonic idea. The Creator/Redeemer is found in the Kingdom of God, of which the Church is a local outpost. God works through the Kingdom and Kingdom people.

Your idea? Your suggestion: what amendments to this? If this experiment of “by the people…” what will you contribute? If building a new city is not possible, how can your segment of the Kingdom do it locally? Perhaps God has brought you to the Kingdom for a time such as this!

©2018 D. Dean Benton dean@deanbenton.org